Soccer is one of the most popular sports in the world. Although it is considered a safe sport, in fact, it is the source of numerous injuries to young and old players alike. Due to the nature of the game, soccer players do not wear protective gear. Bulky protective gear interferes with the quick pace of the game.
Many soccer players are injured and even die each year from abdominal injuries and, in particular, injuries to the kidneys. It is very common for a soccer player to be kicked by an opponent almost anywhere in the body from the legs, which are adapted to take more severe blows, up to the rib cage. The rib cage protects internal organs. The stomach area and kidneys are not protected by bones.
There have been many different types of protective wear that have been designed for different sports, such as football and the like. For example, Matthews U.S. Pat. No. 2,249,966 discloses a stomach protector primarily for a football player. It is a wrap-around device which provides no protection for the kidneys. Gustafson U.S. Pat. No. 3,162,861 discloses a bulky single rubber member which can wrap around the player. It is used to protect the back of the player but is simply too bulky to be used for a soccer player. This is also the case with Castiglia U.S. Pat. No. 4,022,197. Further, Voyne U.S. Pat. No. 1,774,739 discloses a device which protects the kidneys but does not protect the abdomen. Further it is relatively bulky and provides unnecessary protection for the hip area.